Animated signaling device



March 28,1939. D. HEWITT ANIMATED SIGNftLING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet lFiled May 27, 1935 JWVEA/TOR.

ATTORNEY March 28, 1939, D. HEWITT I ANIMATED SIGNALING DEVICE Filed May27, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 an??? ATTORA H.

l llll lv Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNETE STATES PATENT QFFECE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to signaling devices of the type commonly knownas wig-wag signals for railroad and highway crossings, and it hasparticular reference to a. signal which is especially adapted to be usedalong highways and thoroughfares where trafiic abounds and its principalobject resides in the provision of an attractive arrangement capable ofbeing positioned in advance of danger points to signal the operators ofmotor vehicles and other trafiic, and inform them of approaching danger,such as curves, or turns in the road, railroads, and the like, and whichis capable of continued operation over; a long period of time withoutattendance.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a signalingdevice into which is embodied a combination of elements capable ofproducing an animated signal without the use of electrical energy, orother power producing medium, and which is capable of operation in anykind of weather and at any point in which it is desired that it bepositioned to afford the maximum results.

Still another object of the invention is manifest in the provision of awig-wag signal operated by weights, or the like, which when properlyarranged, will produce sufficient energy or power to cause the apparatusto function at all hours and with a minimum amount of attention.

' Broadly, the invention seeks to comprehend the provision of a deviceof the character described which can be caused to operate day and nightover a long period of time without attention, yet enabling personsdriving along a highway or a thoroughfare to determine in advancecertain obstructions in the road, or other presumably dangerous places,enabling them to be prepared in advance.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects willbecome manifest as the description proceeds, taken in connection withthe appended drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention 7 situated at the sideof a highway, showing a type of housing in which the device may bemounted, and illustrating, in dotted lines, the movement of the pendulumand disk.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the gear arrangement and theescapement mechanism, the housing being removed, and illustrates thestarter arrangement.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the gear train and escapementmechanism and also shows the weight assembly.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the escapement mechanism and illustratesthe uppermost end of the pendulum, the starting mechanism and the novelswitch arrangement for actuating the starting mechanism.

Figure 5 is a further detailed View of the switch for the startermechanism, illustrating a ball and a race in which the same travels.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the starting motor, showing thegear arrangement for the starter mechanism.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the front of the starting mechanism,illustrating the gear arrangement therefor.

Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the arcuate member in which the brushoperates, illustrating the head of the starter arm in the normalposition and showing, in dotted lines, its position when actuating thependulum.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary portion of the brush arrangement which assistsin actuating the motor illustrated in Figure 6, showing the contactplate for the brush in cross section, and

Figure 1'?) is an illustration of the wiring circuit for the startingmechanism.

The device herein described, as has been stated, is capable of actuationby a weight and is so constructed as to afford a mechanism whereby theoperation of the animated signal can be accomplished at practically noexpense and with a minimum amount of attention due to its simplicity andthe serviceability of its various parts.

It is required only to wind the weight, which is attached to a cable,upon a drum and after starting the pendulum the device will operateuntil some force deters the pendulum and stops the same and since thedevice is provided with a starting apparatus the pendulum, which carriesthe animated signal, will not remain motionless except for a few secondsat a time.

Accordingly, therefore, the invention is primarily composed of a frame Iin which is mounted a vertical arrangement of gears, which are mountedon shafts whose ends are provided with bearings mounted within asub-frame 2, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The arrangement of gears is comprised of several large gears 3, 3 and 3awhich are adapted to mesh with somewhat smaller gears i, 4' and 4a, someof the latter being mounted upon the shafts 5, 5 arranged within thesub-frame 2, alongside of some of the gears 3, 3 and 3a, as illustratedmore particularly in Figure 3. Thus, an arrangement of gears isprovided, wherein a difierentiation of ratio is afforded to step up orincrease the speed of the small gears at the end of the chain. It ispointed out that, while the gear arrangement as illustrated in Figures 2and 3 is shown to be in vertical alinement, the desired result can beaccomplished by arranging the train of gears horizontally. Obviously,also, any desired number of gears can be mounted in the train toregulate the speed of the same.

Referring especially to Figure 3, attention is directed to a shaft 6which extends from the rear of the frame I through the sub-frame 2 andupon which is mounted a drum 1 which is capable of carrying a cable 8,the latter being wound thereupon by means of a crank (not shown) whichcan be applied to the square end a of the shaft 6. A weight 9 is securedto one end of the cable 8. A clutch ill is provided to permit the freewinding of the cable 8 upon the drum without reversing the gear train towhich it is oper'atively attached.

The large gear 3 is mounted upon the shaft 6 and is adapted to mesh witha gear 4 immediately beneath the latter and which is mounted upon theshaft 5, which also accommodates the large gear 3, which is made rigidwith the shaft 5 and is capable of rotation with the gear 4, justmentioned. The gear 3' just described, meshes with another small gear 4mounted upon a second short shaft 5 and upon which shaft a large gear 3ais also mounted to rotate therewith and which in turn meshes with thelowermost gear 4a, rigidly mounted upon a shaft II which extends throughthe sub-frame 2 and upon whose outer end is mounted an escapement wheelII, which is more clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

The escapement mechanism, which consists of the wheel I I and anescapement arm I2, is arranged in such a manner as to render the samecapable of operating a pendulum [3 which is swung upon a bearing l4 andwhich is connected for operation to the escapement arm 12 through a rodl5, whose uppermost end is secured at b to the escapement arm l2, andhaving its lowermost end arranged through a slot IS in the pendulum l3.As the escapement arm I2 operates in the rocking motion on its pivotbearing H, the pendulum i3 is oscillated from side to side, asillustrated in Figure 1.

It is to be understood that any number of the gears 3 and 4 herein abovedescribed can be utilized in the operation of the invention, and it isnot intended to limit the same to any number of gears in the train, noris it intended to illustrate and describe an operative mechanism whichis capable of being modified to the extent of increasing or decreasingthe number of gears and their diameters.

The pendulum l3, as previously stated, is pivoted upon its bearing 14,which is also mounted within the frame 2, as shown in Figure 3. Theuppermost end of the pendulum I3 is rigidly attached to a stub shaft [8which is rotatably disposed within the bearing I4 and which latter issupported by a cross member IS in the frame I, as shown in Figure 2.

The pendulum I3 is provided with a starter assembly 2B which iscomprised of a motor 2| hav ing a shaft 22 extending therethrough, uponwhose operative end is mounted a small gear 23 which is meshed with agear 24, whose stub shaft 25 is rotatably disposed withinthe recess 26in a bearing block 21, as shown in Figure 6. Rigidly attached to theshaft 25, and adjacent to the gear 24, a pinion 26 is provided which isadapted to mesh with a larger gear-29, whose stub shaft 30 is rotatablydisposed within a recess 31 in the bearing block 2?, the latter beingsecured to one end of the motor 2!, as illustrated in Figure 6.

Eccentrically pivoted to the gear 29 at 32 is a pitman arm 33 whoseoperative face is provided with a series of teeth 34 defining, insubstance, a rack c which meshes with a pinion 35 mounted upon a stubshaft 36, as shown in Figure 7. The pitman arm 33 is supported by aguide roller 31 to retain the same against the small gear 35 and theaction which results from the operation of this arrangement will be tooscillate the gear 35 by reason of the eccentrically pivoted pitman arm33 to oscillate a starter arm 38 which is rigidly secured to the shaft36 upon which the gear 35 is mounted by means of a bearing 39. Thestarter arm 38 is secured to the bearing 39 by means of a rivet, or thelike, at d. The gear arrangement just described, including the pitmanarm 33, is enclosed in a casing 40, as shown in Figure 6.

The starting assembly 2|] is mounted upon the cross member IQ of theframe I in the manner shown in Figure 4. The arm 38 on its bearing 39extends downwardly at an angle of approximately degrees away from thependulum 13, while the latter is in operation, and its function will bepresently described.

A ball race 4! is situated near the top of the pendulum I3, asillustrated particularly in Figures 4 and 5, and is provided with anarcuately curved groove 42 to accommodate a metal ball 43 which iscapable of traveling from one end thereof to the other and back again asthe pendulum l2 oscillates, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5.

It will be noted that the member 4| may be constructed in two parts, asillustrated in Figure 5, and insulated from the pendulum arm l3, so asto afford an electrical contact 44 on each side thereof which can beclosed when the ball 43 comes to rest intermediate the ends of thegroove 42 when its sides will effect a conduction across the contacts 44and energize a circuit, illustrated in Figure 10, which will operate themotor 2| to actuate the arm 38 to urge the same against a bar 45attached to the pendulum i3, and thus start, the latter oscillating, asillustrated in dotted lines in Figure 4. When the pendulum I3 is againset in motion, the ball 43 will resume its movement in the groove 42 aspreviously described, and so long as the ball 43 is caused tomove in thegroove 42, no closing of the circuit across the contact 44 will result.

The arm 38 is capable of only a limited movement in either direction andis provided with a brush 46 which is adapted to operate within thearcuate member 41 which is provided with a contact plate e of apredetermined length. The arcuate member 41 upon which the brushoperates is longer than the contact plate 2 and is turned slightlydownwardly at its free end 48 where the brush 46 passes off of thecontact plate 6, thereby breaking the circuit and causing the arm 38 toassume its normal position.

The arcuate member 47 and its contact plate e, as well as the brush 4B,are illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. The brush 48 is attached to an arm49 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 36 immediately behind thebearing member 39 which carries the arm 38, as illustrated in Figure 9,and operates in the same manner as the arm 39, as shown in Figure 8. Thebrush 46 is normally held against the surface of the contact plate e bymeans of a spring 1'' as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 10 is an illustration of a wiring circuit which is adapted to beutilized in operating the starting mechanism 20. to one of the contacts44 and extends to the source 5|. Another line 52 is arranged from thesource through the starting mechanism 20 and to the other contact 44, asillustrated in Figures 4, 5 and 10. A connection is also providedbetween the source 5| and the contact plate 2 which is engaged by thebrush 45. Thus, when the ball 43 is caused to close the gap between thecontacts 44, as shown in Figure 4, the starting mechanism will functionas previously de- A line 55 is connected scribed. The contacts 44 andthe lines 50 and 52 are shown in detail in Figure 5.

When the pendulum stops or hangs in a vertical position the ball 43rolls to the center, closing the gap 44 and causes the shaft 36, towhich the arm 38 and the brush 46 are attached, to oscillate toward thependulum, thereby bringing the brush 46 into contact with the end 48 ofthe arcuate member 41 and this contact is retained until the arm 38oscillates toward the pendulum and back again to position, as shown inFigure 8, when the contact is broken by the brush 46 going beyond theend 48 of the member 41.

The contact, therefore, remains broken until the pendulum again stopsand assumes a vertical position whereupon the ball 43 is caused to cometo rest in its position upon the contacts 44 to reenergize the circuitand start the motor 2!. When the motor 2| is again set in motion, byreason of the closing of the circuit by the ball 43, the brush 46 isbrought into contact with the plate e and such contact is maintained, aspreviously stated, until the arm 38 makes a complete oscillation towardthe pendulum l3 and back again to its normal position. Thus it will beseen that when the circuit is closed by reason of the ball 43 coming torest upon the contacts 44 and energizing the motor 21, the circuit ismaintained through the contact between the brush 46 and the plate e ofthe arcuate member 4'? until the arm 38 is brought back to its normalposition and is broken only when the brush 46 is caused to pass over theend 48 of the member 41 in the manner previously described.

It is pointed out that the energization of the circuit through the motor2| is begun through the contact made by the ball 43 across the contacts44 but when the arm 38 has moved toward the pendulum 13 a sufiicientdistance to bring the brush 46 into contact with the plate e the circuitis maintained through these elements since the ball 43, by this time,has been dislodged by the movement of the pendulum 3. The function ofthe ball 43 and the contacts 44 is only that of temporarily energizingthe circuit to bring the brush 46 into contact with the plate 2 whichactuates the motor 2| to complete the oscillation of the arm 38.

The contacts 44 can be constructed in the form of posts to which thewires 50 and 52 are attached to a point where the ball 43 will energizethe two lines 50 and 52 which extend respectively to the source and fromthe source through the starting mechanism 20 when the circuit, shown inFigure 10, is closed.

Referring to Figure 3, the pendulum I3 is shown to be constructed insuch a manner as to be provided with a lateral projection 55 at itslowermost end, upon the outer end of which a disk 56 is fixed, as shownin Figure 1. The disk 56 may be provided with certain indicia orinformation concerning danger points which will enable motorists, orother persons operating vehicles to determine the same. The entireassembly is mounted within a suitable housing 51 which is provided inits front portion with an arcuate slot 58 through which the projection55 upon which the disk 56 is fixed may operate, as illustrated in Figure1.

Obviously, certain information or indicia can be placed upon the housing51 if it is desired.

It is intended that the invention be situated, as stated, in closeproximity to roadsides where it can be easily discerned day or night andit is obvious that refractory elements or the like can be placed on thedisk 56 to reflect the lights of motor vehicles at night to drawattention thereto.

Manifestly, the invention is capable of considerable changes andmodifications from time to time by those skilled in the art and suchchanges and modifications as may be considered within the spirit andintent of the invention may also be considered as falling within thescope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a weight actuated motor operating a pendulum for awig-wag signal, an electrical circuit operating an electric motor andmeans impelled by'the said electric motor to impart to the said penduluman initial swing and means carried by the said pendulumfor maintain ingan open circuit while the said pendulum is in motion, and meanscooperating with the said electric motor for maintaining a closedcircuit for completing the movement of the impelling means.

2. In combination with a weight driven motor operating a pendulumproviding a wig-wag trafiic signal, starting means for the said pendulumcomprising an electric motor driving an oscillating arm to impart aninitial swing to the said pendulum, an electrical circuit energizing thesaid electric motor, means carried by the said pendulum closing the saidcircuit when the said pendulum is vertically suspended and means carriedby the said starting means to maintain the energization of the saidcircuit for a predetermined duration of time. v

3. A wig-wag signal operated by a weight driven motor comprising, incombination, a pendulum oscillated by the said motor and an electricmotor operating a starting arm for imparting an initial swing to thesaid pendulum, an electric circuit operating the said electric motor,means carried by the said pendulum to temporarily energize the saidcircuit and means cooperating with the said electric motor to maintainthe energization of the said circuit until the said starting arm hasresumed its original position.

4. In combination with an oscillating pendulum for trafiic signalsoperated by a weight driven motor, a starting means for the saidpendulum comprising an electric motor operating a starting arm, anelectrical circuit operating the said electric motor, means on the saidpendulum to temporarily energize the said circuit and means associatedwith the said starting arm to maintain the energization of the saidcircuit to complete the operation of the said arm.

5. In combination, a weight driven motor operating a pendulum for awig-wag signal, an electrical circuit, a motor operated by the saidcircuit, means impelled by the said motor imparting an initial swing tothe said pendulum, means associated with the said pendulum andcontrolled thereby temporarily energizing the said circuit and meansassociated with the said first named means maintaining the energizationof the said circuit for a predetermined duration of time.

DANIEL HEWITT.

